Manicured Nails and Terrycloth
by arashi-enkou
Summary: It was a habit that was hard to break, but she think it worked in the end. ::MaddiexLondon::


Disc: NOOOOOOO.

Notes: Based on something I used to do as a little kid. I'm weird like that.

* * *

Long, slender fingers with manicured nails gently stroked the plush white of the freshly laundered towel. An gold T was sewn into the corner of the fabric, and she traced it with the pads of her fingertips. A small, slightly bitter smile crossed her lips.

Sometimes, though few and far between, London Tipton hated being rich.

She sighed and shook the wrinkles out of the towel, before matching up the corners and folding it carefully on her lap. She wasn't the brightest tack in the shed, or whatever Nia had said, but this was so simple, even she felt she could do it. The warmth of the towel seeped through the sheer fabric of her three-digit skirt, and London giggled quietly. She set it aside in one of the surprisingly organized piles on the cart, making sure it lined up with the towel beneath it, T on the bottom-left corner.

Maybe she had COD, or something. Millicent had complained about that once, although London didn't really see what was so bad about having cod. She actually enjoyed eating that for dinner. She shrugged, picking up another towel. Oh well; she wasn't about to have a talk with the fidgety girl anytime soon. After folding the small hand towel and setting it on the pile, she thought back to the shocked face of the employee she had met.

_"Y-You want to fold the towels, Miss Tipton!?"_ the boy had sputtered. What, just because she was rich she couldn't work? Granted, she hadn't done so before, but the other stuff was boring and new; two factors that didn't interest her at all. Folding towels, however, was something she had done since she was a little girl. Something to fill in the hole her mother had left when she walked out the door, a hole that no diamond or fancy dress could fill in. London stared blankly at the pile of shrinking terrycloth, her hands still doing the task while her mind drifted. She could nearly see herself sneaking into the laundry room on towel day, could still hear herself plead with the maid to let her fold some of them herself. Back then, she hadn't known what power her voice alone held.

The maid had nodded, and shown her how to fold the towels and where to place them. Little London polietly asked the maid to leave and get more after she had finished a meager pile belonging to the house's servants, and the maid complied. When she was all alone, she grabbed the biggest towel she could find and wrapped herself up in it as if it were a blanket, feeling all tingly when the warmth seemed to help ease the hurt, and could still smell her mother's expensive, smelly perfume beneath the detergent. Ever since, she had helped to fold the towels, just to bury her face in the plush in an attempt to find her lost mother.

And then Daddy got remarried and she had to get away, because they didn't wear her mother's perfume. She might have tolerated them more if they had at least resembled her mother in one way, maybe even liked them. Brandi seemed to be the only one who could actually treat her like her own daughter, instead of a rich brat who got in the way of "true love". Mr. Moseby did too, and she loved him like the father she never had. London could admit to herself that her bio-whatever father was her Daddy, but not her Father. That was Mr. Moseby's role. His right, even, because he had taught her most of the things she knew. Excpet driving, she hadn't gotten that down yet. She reached for another towel but her fingertips found the hard platic of the basket instead of cloth, and she pouted. The opening and slamming of a door reached her ears, and she could hear a voice grumbling foul words beneath their breath.

"God," Maddie growled as she came into the laundry mat, not noticing London. "What a pain. I swear, next time Nia says something..."

"Hi Maddie," London chirped, delighting in the way the candy-girl shrieked and dropped the basket. The blonde whirled around, fists at the ready, only to twitch at the sight of London.

"Oh. It's you." The older girl ran a hand through her hair, near platinum blonde from her time spent with her Aunt Arctica (Maybe she had it bleached?). "What are you doing here?"

"I asked you first," the heiress retorted childishly.

Maddie furrowed her brows. "Uh...no you didn't."

"Uh...Well, I wanted to."

"Uh-huh. Whatever," the other girl sighed with a roll of her eyes. London smiled to herself, giggling. When someone else rolled their eyes at her, she felt hurt. Like they were ignoring her because she was the rich brat who was a dumb as a pile of bricks. She admitted she wasn't up to par with Maddie or Carey, but she had her own wealth of knowledge that no one would expect. When Maddie rolled her eyes at her antics, however, she felt a curious bubbling in her belly and under her heart. She liked it, and tried anything just so that Maddie could make the feeling come.

"So, what are you doing here?" , Maddie asked again, but this time with a small smile.

"I was bored."

"Really? I would have expected you to go shopping, or something." Maddie scooped up the fallen towels and carefully arranged them in the washer. She set the dial and added in the sweet-smelling detergent.

"Meh," London said. "I didn't want to today."

Maddie looked over her shoulder and gaped. "Get out. Miss I-Have-Three-Mall-Sized-Closets doesn't want to go shopping?"

"Meh."

"That's a first," the teenager teased gently, plopping beside London on the floor. She nudged the girl with her elbow. "You know I'm kidding, right?"

"Uh-huh," London smiled, slightly put off that Maddie treated her like a five year old. She knew the difference between callous words and playful banter, though no one thought she did. "I know."

"Good. I had a feeling you did, but I wanted to make sure before I head out again."

"Head out?"

"My shift." Maddie stood up and stretched. London couldn't help but notice that made her pleated skirt raised a little bit, exposing a bit of skin. "Unlike you, I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth."

"No, wait," London reached up and grabbed her hand. "Don't go...um, please stay?"

"I'd love to," the candy-girl replied with a small smile. "But I have a pay-check to earn and a pair of shoes that are calling my name."

"I'll get them for you," the heiress sputtered lamely. "And I'll talk with Moseby just...please?"

She expected a harsh rebutal. She expected something venomous, something mean, because Maddie might mistake her bribes for charity. And if there was one thing her friend didn't like, it was charity for herself. Instead, a warm smile cross her face.

"Awfully generous of you. I'll hold you," Maddie began flippantly as she sat down beside London again. "To both promises."

"Ah..." London blinked. "Oh..."

"What?" The blonde tilted her head, arched a brow.

"No, it's just...I didn't expect you to just agree like that..."

"Well, we're all a little kooky today then, eh?" A warm cuckled followed, as Maddie leaned against the wall. "So, you probably wanted to talk to me, right? Spill."

London looked down at the hem of her neon pink skirt, fiddling with the frilly hem. She bit her lip. That warm, bubbly feeling was back again, and it made her feel lightheaded. "Well..." She swallowed. "I feel funny."

"Funny?" The teasing grin was gone, replaced by a furrowed brow of concern. "Are you sick?"

"No," the black-haired girl answered. She paused. "At least I don't think so."

"What's it feel like?"

"I dunno," London shrugged. "Bubbly. Like that time I drank that frizzy stuff at the Christmas party."

"Champagne?"

"Yeah, that stuff." London looked at her friend through her pink-tipped bangs. "But I didn't drink any of it again. It made my head hurt." She fidgeted. "And...it...only comes when I'm around--"

A loud beep cut her off. Maddie perked up and went to the washing machine, pulling out her towels and stuffing them in the dryer. After setting the dial again, she made her way back to London.

"You were saying?"

"Ah...forget it..."

"Nope," Maddie scowled and gently flicked her nose. "You've sparked my morbid curiosity. Now it's going to nag me until I know. So tell me or I'll nag you too."

"I don't wanna say," London squeaked.

"Okay, that's all you needed to say," Maddie replied.

"I want to show you." With that, she leaned over and pressed her lips against the other girl's. The warm, tingly feeling suddenly burst from her belly all throughout her body, making her shiver. For a moment, Maddie's mouth was slack against her own. She pulled back, scared.

"Um, sorry, I just--"

"Huh." Maddie licked her lips, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Cherry. I expected something stupid, like pink lemonade."

London blinked. "What?"

In answer, Maddie leaned in and kissed her, a hand reach up to her cheek and one on her shoulder. She pressed back, feeling slightly dizzy, steadying herself by grabbing Maddie's shoulders in return. They pulled back and London licked her lips this time.

"...Sugary," she whispered. "You've got sugary lipgloss."

"Yup." Maddie suddenly pulled her into a hug, and she snuggled in. Maddie smelled like sugar, all sweetness. She found it odd, because she expected something tougher from her friend. Like...well, like maybe some sort of exotic spice. Or an old tea, or something like that.

"Well," Maddie piped up. "Wasn't expecting that. But hey, whatever works."

"You're not mad?"

"Yes. Yes I am. Furious, even." London giggled quietly at the dry quality of her friend's tone. "To tell you the truth, I've been wanting to do that or the longest."

"Really?" The heiress looked up, shocked. "Then why didn't you?"

"Well, let's see," Maddie scowled in mock-anger. "You looked totally straight and had a boyfriend. Which left me feeling like I was commiting some god-awful sin." London cooed.

"You poor thing." She looked down, at the candy-girl's lips. "I'm sorry."

The sudden ding told them that the towels were done, and thoroughly ruined the moment. Both of them groaned, but stood to fetch them. As London pulled out a light blue one with a family of penguins on them, she brought it up to her face and sniffed experimentally.

Beneath the detergent, she could still get a whiff of sugar, and something that was definitly Maddie. She smiled into the terrycloth, eyes closed.

"Are you trying to get high," Maddie laughed. "Because that just ruins the already crap-tastic, romantic atmosphere we've got here."

"No," London grinned. "I wasn't trying to get high."

"Good," the blonde smirked faintly. "You'd probably be even more of an idiot."

"Meanie."

* * *

--fin--

* * *

Notes: I find the utter lack of LondonxMaddie stories in TSL section disturbing. It's practically canon. NiaxMillicent is also canon. Expect some of that. Also, London is adorable. And a hoot to write.

_"Maybe she had COD or something..."--_Obviously, this is merely OCD shifted around. I find London to be more childish than stupid.

_"...Aunt Arctica..."--_Referencing to the episode where Maddie came back from Antacrtica. London says something like that, I think.

_"(Maybe she had it bleached?)"--_Again, referencing to the episode where Maddie comes back. Her hair was just TOO blonde, don't'cha think?


End file.
